End of page indicator for typewriters



April 1954 J. J. DAVITT, JR

END OF PAGE INDICATOR FOR TYPEWRITERS 2 She ets-Sheet 1 Filed March 2 1951 INVENTOR. L/ZMZJ J flAV rzJr. BY w magi? April 13, 1954 J. J. DAVITT, JR 2,675,114

END OF PAGE INDICATOR FOR TYPEWRITERS Filed March 2 1951 Z SheetS-Sh eet 2 IN VEN TOR. Jews JJZWIY; J2

Patented Apr. 13, 1954 END OF PAGE INDICATOR FOR TYPEWRITERS James J. Davitt, Jr., Roselle, N. J assignor to Mary Martha Davitt, Roselle, N. J.

Application March 2, 1951, Serial No. 213,609

This invention relates to improvements in end of page alarms or indicators for typewriters. V

In the usual typewriter, the operator must guard against typing too many lines on a page. Since the typist tends to become engrossed in the task of transcription and also because the end of the page is concealed behind the typewriter platen, the approach of the bottom of the page is not readily apparent. There is a need, therefore, for some indicating or warning means to aid the typist in guarding against too many lines on a page. A feature of the invention is to provide such a means.

It is another feature of the invention to provide an alarm device which may be adjusted to adapt it for use with sheets of different lengths, such as half lengths, letter sizes, legal size and document size.

Another object of this invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive but rugged indicating means 3 Claims. (Cl. 197189) 5; This substitution is performed as follows.

Referring specifically to Figures 1 through 7 it is to be noted that my alarm means comprises essentially two components. The first component is a modified platen knob and gear arrangement, generally designated I, and the second component comprises the gear and bell combination, generally designated 2. The gear and knob combination I is substituted for the platen knob found on the usual typewriter and is the same size and readily adapted for substitution of the same. The usual platen knob of a typewriter is backed oil from platen shaft B after which the new knob I and gear 3 are attached to the shaft B by screwing the central shaft 4 onto the threaded exten- 5; sion C of the shaft B.

which may be readily adapted as an accessory on the standard typewriter. In order to attach this attachment to the typewriter, a minimum of change is effected on the typewriter carriage.

My device is operated by the rotation of the typewriter platen. The device is synchronized to actuate a signal when the platen has moved a sheet to the point where it leaves the desired margin below the typing. To this end 'I have constructed a gear mechanism which connects the platen and the device.

Other and further advantages of my invention will be apparent in the course of the ensuing description taken with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the parts in assembled relationship, but removed from the typewriter;

Figure 2 is a detail enlarged view of a part of the indicator and alarm;

Figure 3 is a partial view of my device showing the relationship of parts;

Figure 4 is a view of my device as positioned with respect to the typewriter platen and carriage;

Figure 5 shows my devicein position on a typewriter carriage;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6--6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of my device positioned on a typewriter carriage taken from the opposite side of the machine from Figure 5;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a modification of my alarm means; and

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken on line 9--9 of Figure 8.

The combination gear and alarm means 2 includes a disc 5 with an outer flange portion 6 and a central bore 5a. At the juncture between disc 5 and flange portion 6, gear teeth 1 are fashio ned which are adapted to mesh with and be rotated by gear 3 on shaft 4. Disc 5 is mounted for unrestricted rotational movement on collar 8 of threaded member 1. One end of threaded member 1 includes screw head 9 which acts as a bearing and prevents longitudinal displacement of the disc 5 from the collar portion 8 in one direction while washer l2a prevents longitudinal movement in the other direction. On the other end of member 1 are threads I0 which are adapted to be-screwed into the typewriter carriage II to support the alarm means 2. Washers I2 and |2a are on either side of the indicating member I5 on shaft 1 between the collar 8 and the carriage II' and aid in positioning member l5. After the gear and bell assembly 2 has been loosely positioned in the desired location so that the pointer 18 can be readily viewed by the typist, screw 9 is tightened to hold the indicator [5 in the desired location. Since the disc 5 bears on the collar, it remains rotationally free on the collar.

3 Referring specifically to Figure 2 in which the alarm means is Shown in detail, member I5 comprises an arm 16 with a circular ring portion which surrounds shaft 1, as shown in crosssection in Figure 6. At the uppermost portion of member Hi a pointer l8 has been formed for use in conjunction with the indicia on outer flange 6 of disc 5 as will be explained hereinafter. Lever arm [9 is pivoted at 20 to member l6. A tension spring 2| is fastened at one end to the upper portion of member l6 and at the other end to lever arm [9 to hold the parts in the relationship indicated. Lever arm 19 has at the end opposite from its pivot 20 two stop members 22 and II.

in Figure 4, the operative relationship of the parts has been shown. A sheet of paper 24 is being fed about the platen A in the conventional clockwise direction, as indicated, and the type bar 25 is shown about to strike the paper 24 through the ribbon 26 in the usual manner. The bell striker 2'! is pivotally mounted at 28 to the lower end of lever arm I9 and is adapted to strike the flange 6 to produce a tone indication to the typist that the end of page has been reached. This striker is adapted to be engaged by peg 29 projecting inwardly from the inner face of disc 5. The paper 24 is about completely fed through the typewriter and it is time for actuating the end of page indicator to warn the typist. The peg or projection 29 has rotated so that it has engaged the striker 2'! and in doing so has caused it to pivot against stop 23 and then to move lever arm 19 clockwise about its pivot thus tensioning spring 2|. Further rotation of the disc 5 and peg or cam member 29 through the gear arrangement to the platen will cause a sudden release of the striker 2?, which under action of spring 2|, strikes surface '6 warning the typist that the end of the' page has been reached.

It is sometimes necessary for the typist to back the paper about the platen. In such a case the striker 2? may be engaged by the peg 29, moving in an opposite direction. It is necessary, therefore, that the striker member 21 be able to pass the projection 29 so that it will not lock counter-rotation of the platen. Consequently, during reverse rotation when the hammer or striker 21 is engaged by projection 29" the striker is rotated about the pivot 28 so as to engage stop 22. In Figure 3 the respective position of these members in such a case is illustrated .in dotted outline. It is to be noted that since striker 2! projects but a small distance in this position it causes only slight tension to be placed on the spring 2|. When the striker is released from the peg 29 it will not receive sufiicient energy from the spring to cause the striker to hit bell 6.

Figures 8 and 9 embody a modification of the end-of-page indicator. In this modification the disc member 30 has upon its inner surface a cam portion '3I. This member is adapted to be engaged by portion 32 of the indicating member 33 whenmember '30 has rotated sufficiently to cause cam member 3| to force the indicator member 33 away from the bell portion 34 of the member 30. Upon abrupt release from the cam portion the member 33 will strike portion V 34 to apprise the typist of the end of the page.

Bell portions 6 and 34, respectively, in each modification bear indicia H, W, L and D which indicate half, whole, legal and document sizes of paper.

around until it is in the initial typing position. It is, therefore, readily observed that the indicator is independent of the place upon which typewriting is initiated on the paper. He then may type until the bell warns of the end of the page.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in a preferred form, it is to be understood that it is not limited to the form shown herein but may be illustrated in other forms which come within the scope of the appended claims.

What is .claimedis:

1. In a typewriter having a carriage and a platen shaft, an attachment comprising, in combination, a first gear mounted on said platen shaft, 2. combined gear and bell member rotatably mounted from said carriage and adapted to engage said first gear, a cam portion projecting from said combined gear and bell member, an indicator device mounted from said carriage, and a cam engaging device on said indicator device, said cam engaging device and said cam portion coacting to cause one of said devices to strike said bell member.

2. In a typewriter having a carriage and a platen shaft, an attachment comprising, in combination, a first gear mounted on the platen shaft, a combined gear and bell member rotatably mounted from the carriage and adapted to engage said first gear for rotation with said platen shaft, a pin projecting from said member, a stationary indicator arm mounted from said carriage, and a lever arm resiliently pivoted from said indicator arm and having a striker pivoted from its free end, said striker adapted to engage the bell portion of said gear and bell member to signal the approach of the end of a page in the machine, said projecting pin adapted to engage said striker and to tension said lever arm and to release said lever arm allowing said striker to engage said bell member when the end of a page is approached.

3. In a typewriter having a carriage and a platen shaft, an attachment comprising, in combination, a first gear mounted on the platen shaft, a combined gear and bell member rotatably mounted from the carriage and adapted toengage said first gear for rotation with said platen shaft, a resilient stationary indicator arm mounted from said carriage and including a cam portion, and a cam member on said gear and bell member adapted to engage said cam portion on said indicator arm, said cam portion and cam member being arranged to bias said indicator arm away from said bell member and to release same when the end of the page approaches.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,295,307 Hawley Feb. 25, 1919 2,200,201 Fleming May 7, 1940 

